Yofudo Onsen

Yabu, Hyogo, Japan

Location: Yabu, Hyogo, Japan
Water type: sulfurous
Temperature: 44 °C
pH: 6.5

Water profile

Thermicity

Sedative

44 °C

LowHigh

Relaxing — deep, immediate muscle release.

Mineralisation

Bio-active

LowHigh

Rich in active gases or metals — a strong mineral character.

Buoyancy

Standard buoyancy

LowHigh

Soft water — natural, classic buoyancy.

SoufreSulfuresSulfates

Yofudo Onsen is a public bathing facility in the Mori area of Santo Town, Asago City, Hyogo Prefecture, notable for its high radon content alongside its sulfurous and simple mineral waters, with the establishment also offering outdoor and indoor baths, sauna facilities, a dining hall, and a souvenir shop within a day-trip facility without adjacent lodging. Asago City in the mountainous interior of Hyogo Prefecture is known for the spectacular Takeda Castle ruins, often called the Castle in the Sky for the way morning fog surrounds the ancient stone foundations perched on a mountain summit, creating one of the most photographed landscapes in western Japan. The radon-rich waters of Yofudo Onsen are associated within Japanese balneological tradition with rest and well-being, adding a distinctive dimension to the bathing experience in this scenic mountain spa of northern Hyogo.

Insider tip — Yofudo Onsen is a small, traditional hot spring settlement in the mountainous Yabu area of northern Hyogo Prefecture, where mildly sulfurous waters emerge in a cedar-forested valley. The remote location keeps this onsen largely off the radar of foreign visitors, making it a genuine local secret for those seeking an authentic rural bathing experience. The surrounding Tajima highlands offer fine hiking through beech forests and rice-terrace landscapes. Traditional farmhouse lodgings (minshuku) here provide a warm, intimate alternative to large hotel chains.

Find hotels nearby →Tickets & activities →See the map & practical info →